IFSS-president impressed with the Finnmark Race

Swedish Helen Lundberg is president of the International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS). She is currently in Alta, and she praises the organization for the event.

- This is a fantastic organization, and it is obvious that it is very well-functioning, she says.

Competent and experienced organization
Lundgren explains that there were some criteria that were decisive when IFSS chose to allocate the World Championship to the Finnmark Race.

- It is important the organizer of a World Championship has a technical organization, with the ability to deliver high-quality services. The participants should know that everything is taken well care of when they compete in a World Championship. I know what the mushers put down in terms of preparations and resources in order to participate in a World Championship, and it is important that they have a feeling of getting back for what they've invested.

President Helen Lundberg of IFSS is in Alta to receive this year’s WCh winner in FL-1000. Photo: Elisabeth Bergquist

Europe does not have many genuinely long-distance sled dog races. Further south on the continent, sprint and mid-distance races are more common. The Finnmark Race thus offers a welcomed opportunity to market long-distance mushing, according to the President.

Experienced dog musher
The president is an experienced musher herself. Early in the 1980s, she started with dogs, and in 1985 she began mushing in Sweden. Together with her husband Egil Ellis, she practiced mid-distance mushing, where legs are up to 45 km. In 2001 the couple moved to Alaska, where they stayed until 2014.

- One of the things I liked about Alaska, was that people raced with whichever dogs they preferred. 

- The IFSS members want the RNB class 
Many have questioned why there is a particular class in the race for those competing with pure-breed polar dogs (FL-500 RNB).

The President argues that this was already established when she took over as President, and it was something that the IFSS members wanted. – It is important that the IFSS is an organization for everyone, regardless of what type of dogs one races, she says. – The most important thing is that we have a focus on the sport and contribute to developing it for the future.

The next IFSS General Assembly will take place in 2016. There is already an ongoing discussion in the mushing environment regarding whether or not a particular pure-breed class is wanted. That debate is likely to continue there.

Today Lundgren is at the finish line in Alta and ready to welcome the World Champion in FL-1000, when the team crosses the finish line.